Cotton-chopper.



J. P; FINDLEYL' COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FI LED MAR. 10, 19M.

1,140,144. I Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lm 1! J Find (e3 5i w vtmaooeo' I i THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. FHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTVIIV n r J. P. FINDLEY.

COTTON CHOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL-I0, 1914.

l 149, 144:; Patnted May 1 8, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- E: [1& 3

.1 v I J1 Ti nd\ g amount-oz lm hummus w 'flttoawwqs THE NORRIS PETERS CON PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

JOHN 1 FINDLEY, oronossvrt-nn, ALABAMA.

oo'rron-cnorrnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented y 13,1915.

Application filed March 10, 1914. Serial No; 82351745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, the unders1gned, JOHN P. FINDLEY, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at Crossville, inthe county other for taking up, the lost motion occa One of the objects of this invention is the provision of means for throwing the dirt away from the rows of the cotton at each side thereof, then chopping out the step and finally throwing the dirt toward the rows in successive operations.

A further object of my invention is to furnish a means for removing the super-- fluous plants from a row and to evenly space those plants that are left in the said row.

A further object of this invention. is to provide improved means for throwing the machine into and out of gear by a lever within easy reach of the operator of the machine, whereby the chopping plates may be checkedin their movement, thus avoiding the destruction of plants desired to remain standing.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved construction of the workingparts whereby the same are capable of ready adjustment relative to each sioned bythe wear upon the parts.

" With these objects in view the invention consists in the improved construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and. afterward specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate an approved embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine showing the same in its complete form ready for operation. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same showing the chopping plates in vertical position and the position of the gear lever in proximity to the handles of the machine. Figs 3 is a fragmentary detail View showing the manner of adjustably mounting the ends of the chopping j I in the freeends thereof slots 34:, and extend plates in the ends of the revolving arms. Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view taken on lineal- 401 Fig.8. Fig. 5;is a fragmentary detail'view partly in section takenonl-ine 5-5'of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings the frame consists of the side rails 1 and 2 the forward ends of which converge as at 3-3 and meet to form the tongue 4- provided with the clevis' 5' at the end thereof for the reception of the single tree or double tree 6.

Arranged at the rear ends of the side rails 1 and 2 is the rear rail 7 one end of which projects for a distance beyond the. sameas at 8, and in the upper face of the projecting end 8 are the spacedv notches 9-and 10. Se-

cured centrally upon the rail 7 by the bolts 12' of the bearing. 13. Transversely mounted withinthe' frame at a point in advance of the rear rail 7 is the cross rail 14: and secured centrally thereupon by the bolts or or other securing means 11 is the bracket other securing means 15 is the bracket 16:

provided with the horizontal slot 18. Upon the rails 1 and 2 of the frame and forwardly of the cross rail 14 and secured thereon by the bolts 19 arethe brackets 20 of the bearings 21', and mounted within the bearings 21 and extending transversely of the frame is the axle22 upon the ends of which.

are the master wheels23 having arranged within the hubs 24 suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism not shown for revolving the axle 22 in a forward direction only. 7

Adjustably arranged upon theaxle 22 at a point approximately intermediate the ends thereof is the bevelgear 25 having its hub 26 secured to the axle 22' by a set screw 27. j i j j Arranged longitudinally" withinthe framev is the shaft 28 the rear end of which issuit ably journaled within the boxing 13 upon the rear rail 7 and. retained therein byjcollars 29. secured to-the shaft "28. -1 Th6ff0f- 1 ward end of the shaft 28' projects; beyond and' is suitably journaled'in a boxingythe saidflboxingbeing slidably mounted in. the;

horizontal elongated opening. 18in the bracket 16 upon the cross rail l lan'dthere is mounted upon thefreeend' of the shaft 28 -the bevel gear 30 for meshing with the bevel gear 25 uponthe axle 22-whereby-to:

revolve the shaft-28'withlthe axle."

. Arranged upon theshaft 28 are thelliubs 31 securedgtojthe sha'fti28 by set screws 32,: the hubs 31 being each provided with the oppositely extending arms 33-havingarranged ing from each of the'opposing arms 33 are.

the chopping plates or knives 35 provided at each of their ends with projections 36 upon the outer faces of which are arranged rectangular lugs 37 adjustably mounted within the slots 34 of the arms 33 and retained in their respective adjusted positions by a set screw 38.

For throwing the bevel gear 30 into and out of engagement with the bevel gear 25 there is provided the lever 40 at the right hand side of the machine, the lever 40 having a portion of the forward end thereof bent inwardly in right angular direction to provide the arm 41 and then forwardly bent to provide the arm 42, the arm 42 being pivotally connected to the clamp 43 surrounding the axle 22 and retained thereon in adjusted position by the collars 44 at each side thereof, the collars 44 being secured to the axle 22 by set screws 45. The rear end of the lever 40 is bent upwardly to provide the arms 46 and upon the upper end of which is the hand grip 47 in close proximity to the operator of the machine. At the bent portion between the arms 41 and 42 of the lever 40 is pivotally connected the link 48, which link is also pivotally connected at its opposite end to the clamp 49 surrounding the shaft 28, and retained thereon by the collars 50 at each side thereof. Secured to the rails 1 and 2 of the frame by the bolts 51 are the handles 52 provided with braces 53 extending therefrom and attached to the rails 1 and 2 of the frame, the handles being also provided with the brace rods 54, the right hand handle 52 being adjacent to the hand grip 47 of the lever 40 in order that the same may be in easy reach of the operator. The lever 40 is designed to engage the respective recesses 9 and 10 of the projection 8 of the rear rail 7 for holding the gear 30 in or out of engagement with the gear 25 of the axle 22.

Secured upon the rear rail 7 of the machine by bolts 55 are the arms 56 provided attheir lower ends with the feet or cultivators 57 for throwing the dirt toward the rows of cotton.

At the forward end of the machine and secured upon the tongue 4 thereof by the bolts 58 is .the bracket 59 upon the lower end of which is revolubly mounted the oppositely disposed and obliquely arranged disks 60 designed to throw the dirt away from the rows of cotton.

During the chopping operation the machine is designed to straddle the rows of cotton, the disks 60 throw the dirt away from the rows of cotton at each side thereof, and the revolving chopping blades 35 following thereafter chop the step between the hills of cotton at intervals along the narrow strip of land left by the disks 60, while the cultivators 57 following the chopping blades 35 throw the dirt back again toward the cotton and thus cultivate the same during the chopping or thinning operation. The lever 40 and its connections with the revolving shaft 28 carrying knives 35 is designed to move the forward end of the shaft 28 which is slidably mounted to the slot 18 arranged in the bracket 16 upon the cross bar 14 and thus moves the gear 30 upon the forward end of the shaft 28 toward or away from the gear 25 upon the. axle 22 when it is desired to throw the machine into and out of gear, the lever 40 being retained in either of the respective positions by its en agement in the notches 9 and 10 in the mem er 8.

It is to be noted that the gear 25 on the axle 22, the sleeve 43 in which the lever 40 is mounted, the hub 31 of the chopping plates 35, and the plates 35 relative to the arms 33, are all adjustably mounted upon their respective supports, whereby all of the parts are held in accurate and efficient engagement with each other and lost motion is wholly obviated.

While I have here shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I hereby reserve the right to make such alterations and variations therein from time to time as I may deem expedient and which will not depart from the spirit of this invention nor conflict with the scope of the claim.

I claim:

In combination a frame, an axle journaled therein, a pair of wheels and an intermediate bevel gear on the axle, a longitudinal shaft, a bearing in the frame for the rear end of the shaft, abearing for the front end of the shaft having a horizontal slot to rcceive the front journal of the shaft, a bevel gear on the shaft adapted to engage the bevel gear on the axle, a chopping head on the shaft, a clamp on the axle, a clamp on the shaft, an angular lever pivotally connected to the clamp on the axle, a link pivotally connecting the lever at its angle with the clamp on the shaft, and a bar projecting laterally from the frame having notches in its face to receive and hold the lever in adjusted positions.

JOHN P. FINDLEY.

Witnesses:

A. H. BoULDIN, G. A. EVERETT.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

